


Re:Vive

by cutegarbage (squirrelychan)



Category: Disney Princesses, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Dearly Beloved, Dream Eater Riku (Kingdom Hearts), F/F, Future AU, Heartsong, I just wanted to write about them kissing but then I had IDEA, M/M, MORE AND MORE IDEA, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, Slow Burn, Soriku - Freeform, sleeping realm, they are gonna kiss so hard just u wait, why cant I just write kissing and be done??
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-10-06 00:35:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20497961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squirrelychan/pseuds/cutegarbage
Summary: Riku knows Sora will find her; knows he'll do what he needs to get closure with her. Riku knows in his heart that Kairi isn't coming back. And, after a while, he knows Sora isn't coming back either - not without him. So he dives in again.Below the rippling surface, deeper and deeper, he finds that the flow of time is uncertain. When traversing the sleeping worlds, one might end up in the past, the future, or anywhere inbetween. He visits many worlds, meeting many friends, old and new, and is reminded of a promise he made as a kid.(Post-Kingdom Hearts III)





	1. Departure

There are no endings, Riku knows, only new beginnings.

After Sora disappears on his search for Kairi, Riku finds himself at a loss for some time. Normal things feel a little unfamiliar now. It’s impossible to settle back in at Destiny Islands, though he tries. They haven’t been a home to him in far too long. Eventually, he busies himself attending to the little details left to wrap up. The Final Battle with Xehanort is over, and everyone has a new journey ahead. In many ways, the final battle gave everyone a do-over; a new beginning.

Riku starts by helping Axel, Roxas, Xion, and Namine settle into Twilight Town. They’re welcomed with open arms by Hayner, Pence, and Olette, who immediately set out on new odd jobs around town, especially gathering ingredients for Little Chef and Scrooge McDuck so they can earn enough munny to take one more excursion to the beach, this time with all their friends in tow. _Not all, _Riku thinks, _we're missing one._ Roxas shies away from telling the Twilight Town kids that the keyblade wielders have all just spent plenty of time on Destiny Island beaches. Xion and Axel go along with it for Roxas’s sake, but they tease him about it, anyway. They relent after a while and the keyblade wielders all disappear for a day only to reappear with the most extravagant ingredients for Little Chef. Scrooge McDuck pays them handsomely. The munny is more than enough to support the summer vacation and Hayner, Pence, and Olette are floored, but they don’t question things too much. Mostly, they’re just excited for their second trip to the beach in so many weeks.

“I don’t tan well,” Axel admits as they wait for the train to pick them up, rubbing the back of his head and glancing to the side, eyes reflecting the unending red sunset. Riku thinks he’s seemed more at-ease since they arrived here, maybe due to the town itself, or due to the increasing reassuring feeling that he and his friends are finally free to live in peace.

Xion releases an airy laugh while Roxas honks out “_Now_ you mention that? A little late for second thoughts, isn’t it?” Axel’s cheeks must have already been warm from the heat of the sun, but Riku thinks they look a little darker now.

“Well," Axel hesitates, "the time never seemed right before now, y’know?” he huffs, and then, in a falsetto, mimics “‘Oh, now that I’ve overthrown Castle Oblivion and might have a day off with my friends in peace, maybe I should break their nonexistent hearts by telling them I’m allergic to the _sun_!’”

There’s a moment of silence as the others look at Axel and Riku worries that the joke may not have gone over like Axel hoped. Then, Roxas breaks out into a grin, elbows Axel, and laughs loudly. Riku has never known Roxas to be so... jolly. The grin splitting his face in two reminds Riku of someone else he knows; someone else with sparkling blue eyes and a contagious laugh. Riku feels his shoulders tense for an achingly long moment, but the tension releases a little when Olette pipes up, “Don’t sweat it, guys, I packed sunscreen, towels, and umbrellas for us to share!” The group cheers and Riku hears Namine quietly thanking Olette for her thoughtfulness. The petite blond’s hand slips into Xion’s while no one is paying attention, and as Xion turns to look at Namine, her eyes sparkle with delight. Riku’s heart tightens and his shoulders tense once more. He curls his hand into a fist and closes his eyes.

Though none of the reunited Twilight Town gang is particularly close to him, Riku’s heart is lighter and warmer after seeing the group of friends finally enjoying the happiness they’ve longed for. He takes one last look at the sunset and thinks, for a moment, that it looks a little more like a sunrise.

Back in the gummi ship, Riku looks out into the expanse of nothing and wonders where he’ll find his own happiness.

His muscles tense a little more and his shoulder blades itch.

* * *

At the Land of Departure, Riku finds Aqua, Ven, and Terra hard at work restoring the tower they once called home. Somehow, he isn’t surprised that they haven’t taken a break since returning. Aqua doesn’t strike him as the kind of person to stop moving, even for a moment. As he approaches, he hears the tail-end of a joke Ven is trying to tell the older two. He must have muddled the punch-line because there’s an awkward silence after he finishes the joke, the young blond left hanging as he looks between his two older friends until they both burst into laughter at his expense.

Ven is flustered when Riku arrives at a stop beside him. “Riku!” he blurts out, welcoming any distraction, “You’re here already! We were just cleaning up outside the tower.”

Aqua sucks in a breath, finally ceasing her laughter, much to Ven’s relief. “Yeah,” she agrees, “This place hasn’t had anyone looking after it for some time.” Her gaze drifts over the green expanse of land around them, a smile curling slowly across her face. She reaches out and pulls both Ven and Terra into a side-hug, grinning as they try to regain their balance. “But, we’re here now!”

The three before him are in much better shape than the last time he saw them at the Final Battle, freshly awakened from slumber, freed from darkness, and fighting off their long-time enemy for the last time. They were in shambles at the time, but now they’re fresh-faced, smiling, and holding each other together, along with their old home. Riku's shoulder muscles tense and he closes his fingers into a fist. His own friends are nowhere to be seen, and he’s uncomfortably aware of the emptiness by his side where another signature goofy grin should be joining the others.

Terra steps forward to take his hand in a firm shake, allowing Riku to open his fist, take Terra’s hand, and forget his thoughts for a moment. Riku holds Terra’s firm gaze as they fully acknowledge each other for the first time in a long time. “It really is you,” Terra finally says. “Do you remember - the promise we made all those years ago?” Riku nods tersely. He would never forget; could never forget. “I do,” he answers. _But have I kept my promise?_

Ven breaks the tense moment, piping up “Come in with us!” and motioning for Riku to follow himself and Aqua into the tower.

The Tower of Departure is magnificent; Riku trains his eyes on every detail as the trio guides him. He wonders what Sora would think of this and - _Oh_. He halts, frozen in his tracks, head filled with static. Aqua notices the strained look on his face and falls back to stand beside him, a gentle, patient smile on her face.

After a beat, she looks away from him and at their surroundings. “Do you like it?”

“...I do,” Riku responds simply.

As she lets her eyes travel around the interior, a fond expression settles on her face. “It’s been my home - all of our homes - for a long time. I’m glad to be back.” The static is slowly clearing from his head. She turns towards him again. “It’s nice to have you here, too.”

“I wish…” He can’t complete his sentence, but Aqua seems to instinctively understand what he means. A beat passes quietly between them. Riku knows Aqua might understand him more than anyone; she, too, has been ripped away from her precious people for too long. Another quiet moment passes between them. Distantly, Riku can hear Ven and Terra laughing again ahead of them.

“You could take a photo,” Aqua muses quietly, and for a moment he almost doesn’t realize she’s speaking to him. “With your Gummiphone. You know, to show him when you see him again.” Deep sea blue eyes crinkle warmly at him in a way that feels uncomfortably familiar. Her reassurance works, though. He shakes the static out of his head, then nods and retrieves his Gummiphone, carefully snapping a photo of the beautiful interior of the tower.

Hearing the camera shutter, Ven curiously leans around from behind Terra to look at the them and ask “You’re taking photos?” Riku blinks back at three sets of eyes suddenly trained on him. “Just a couple,” he admits, and shrugs “Memories. Keepsakes. To show people later.”

“We should take a group photo!” Three sets of eyes are now trained on Aqua, who has a finger raised in the air as though she’s just thought of something ingenious. Riku is caught off guard for a moment, but he feels a smile tugging at the edges of his lips as the others grin at him.

“Can we?” Ven asks.

Riku supposes it would be nice to have a photo with some friends. Their final battle in the Keyblade Graveyard made each hero of light far too aware of how fleeting time with friends can be; every moment with them is a treasure. Nodding, Riku holds up his Gummiphone and responds “Sure.”

It takes a little finagling to get the photo. First, they try to find someone to take their photo. When that fails, they try to decide who will sit out to take the photo, until eventually one of them realizes they can use the front-facing camera if they all squeeze in close enough and Riku really stretches his arm out. Terra ends up squeezing them all in an unexpected bear hug to get everyone close enough to fit in the frame. The result is not their most flattering photo, but it lifts Riku's heart anyway. Terra teases the other two relentlessly about how surprised they look, but is gracious enough not to mention Riku looking partially cross-eyed in the photo. Riku saves it and sends a copy to the other three. After a while, Aqua, Terra, and Ven are waving goodbye to Riku, promising to keep in touch on their Gummiphones, and Riku is off to see another trio settling in back at home.

Although it’s rather snug for him and is certainly a one-passenger vehicle, Riku’s gummi ship suddenly feels too big and empty. It’s quiet in the cabin with Riku traveling alone, staring out into the abyss between worlds once again. Riku feels uneasy. He wonders if maybe he’s just not used to living in peace after so many years of turmoil. He wonders if maybe he’s not used to having a home now. He wonders if he’s not truly good at being alone like he once thought. Silence fills the gummi ship cabin, expansive, deafening, drowning out his feelings.

He closes his fingers into a fist until they ache and he feels his fingernails digging into his palms. His shoulder blades ache. His head is filled with cotton and his ears filled with static.

* * *

When he lands, Mickey gives him an official grand tour of Disney Castle, including seeing Minnie in the throne room. Minnie is giving out assignments to Castle staff with confidence and quick execution that gives Riku the impression that Minnie is used to running the kingdom alone while Mickey is away. When Mickey says hello to her in the throne room, he picks her up, spins her around, gives her a kiss, and releases her. She giggles waves at Riku, wishing them well as they leave. Riku waves back, “It was nice seeing you, Queen Minnie!” Mickey and Minnie’s joyful embrace and brief kiss replays in his mind once. Twice. Three times.

Mickey takes him to Donald and Goofy next, reestablished in their positions as the Castle Guard and Castle Magician. The two are bickering like an old married couple just as Riku imaged they would be. Donald notices them approaching, shouts something incoherent that vaguely sounds like “RICHT QUEUE”, and if it weren’t for Goofy echoing “Hey Riku!”, he wouldn’t have known what the boisterous duck was saying. How anyone could travel with them for so long, he didn’t know. He forces himself to release his clenched fist and open his hand to wave at the two, lips twitching up on one side. “Hey,” he greets them, “Mickey was just showing me around. We thought we would come say hello.”

He glances down at Mickey, who is nodding in agreement. “Hey, fellas! Riku came to visit us!” Donald and Goofy return the greeting and together the four of them walk the gardens, exchanging pleasantries. Riku tells them what he’s been up to and how their other friends are faring. It’s not a necessary update since they all keep in contact on Gummiphones now, but it’s nice nonetheless. They tell him how they’ve been helping Minnie, Daisy, and the others at the Castle since they returned. They’ve each spent a lot of time with their precious person, and Riku feels a bittersweet happiness for them. Mickey must notice something is off because he eventually sends Donald and Goofy away and takes them to a quiet, faraway place in the garden where he faces Riku with an uncharacteristically serious expression. Riku blinks and gives Mickey his full attention, waiting for him to speak.

“I’m real glad to be back here with Minnie,” Mickey begins, quietly, pointedly. The King turns to face the sun descending on the horizon, and Riku is reminded of setting out from Twilight Town. He wonders how long it’s been since he stopped to rest properly. Never one to be too shy, Mickey dives right back in, “It’s all thanks to Sora,” he pauses, and continues after a moment, quieter, “I wish I could repay him.” Riku’s throat feels dry and his shoulder blades feel like sandpaper. He closes his hand into a fist. “You’re going looking for him, aren’t you?” Mickey turns to face Riku again, his eyes boring into Riku intensely.

Riku looks back at the sunset and nods once, solemnly. How had the King known his intentions before he had finished formulating them? “Destiny Islands doesn’t feel like home without him,” he states simply. He’s not sure he has a home without Sora. After a moment, he continues. “I made a promise to someone a long time ago, and I intend to keep it. I’m going to bring him back safe.” Saying it aloud now, he realizes this was his heart’s intention all along. Sora was capable, that much he knew; the foolhardy younger boy had saved them all more often than Riku cared to count. It was precisely because the Guardians of Light now knew how much Sora had sacrificed to save them all at The Keyblade Graveyard during the Final Battle that Riku feared Sora may be unable to return on his own. He had dived into sleep for Sora before, dived deep into Sora’s heart to retrieve him, and he was ready to do it again, whatever the price.

Mickey nodded. “This may be a different journey than the ones you’ve been on before.” He looks up at Riku, “Do you want help?” It’s a kind offer, but once again, Mickey knows the answer before Riku needs to speak.

“No,” Riku responds anyway, meeting Mickey’s steady gaze. “I can do this on my own.”

Mickey smiles and turns towards the sunset again. “Sometimes you care so much for somebody that other feelings disappear. And then there’s no room for fear or doubt.” The words he said to Riku once before ring true again, and as he looks at Riku out of the corner of his eye, Riku sees his smile widening. “Your bond with Sora is special. Your heartsong can lead the way.”

Riku feels warm. He tightens his fist, just a little, and his shoulders tingle pleasantly.

“But, you shouldn’t go unprepared! Why don’t you rest here tonight and pick up some new gear from Master Yen Sid before you go? I’ll call him to tell him you’re coming!” Before Riku can say anything else, Micky has already dialed Master Yen Sid’s Gummiphone from his own. Riku breaths out an airy chuckle and follows Mickey back towards the Castle.

He feels lighter.

* * *

_“My friends are my power!”_

Ringing in his head unsolicited, the words he’s heard so often feel truer to him now than ever before. Riku raises his fist in front of him. His power is stronger than ever, but he knows it’s because of one person. For one person. His precious person.

There are no endings, Riku knows, only new beginnings.

He takes one last look at the sunset and thinks it looks more like a sunrise.


	2. Enchanted Dominion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku sets out to find Sora, but instead finds a new friend. Sora sets out to find Kairi, but instead finds himself lost. Maleficent sets out to ruin everyone's plans, but instead unintentionally teaches Riku something new...

After Master Yen Sid equips him with new clothes, repairs and upgrades his keyblade, and stocks him with potions and ethers to last a month, Riku is thoroughly ready to depart. As he says goodbye to Mickey and Master Yen Sid he wonders if he should send a message to the others as well so they know what he’s up to. _It d__oesn’t matter, _ he eventually decides, _ they’ll know when I bring Sora home. _Truthfully, they probably know already. He and Sora are always chasing after each other. Will they ever be able to catch up, or will they always be on different paths, slightly out of reach?

His shoulder blades itch in a familiar way as he lifts his keyblade dutifully to open a keyhole. He shouldn’t keep Sora waiting any longer than he has to. And with that, Riku is off.

He finds himself in a strangely familiar yet unfamiliar world. Ahead of him is a towering castle, covered in thorns. Thunderstorm clouds roll overhead, covering the sky, and a raven calls from somewhere out of sight. Wind whistles through the thorny vines, but otherwise, it’s eerily quiet. Where is everyone? He can’t sense any life around - only darkness hanging over the castle like a curse. Riku summons his keyblade and cautiously approaches the castle. He picks his way through the thorny vines where he can, slashing them out of the way with his keyblade when he must. It’s a long, arduous task, and he feels the darkness pushing down on him, a noticeable weight on his back. Rotating his arms slowly, he carefully pushes further into the thorny vines, trying to ignore the strange sensation running up his spine. 

Finally making it through the vines and into the main castle entrance, Riku finds an unsettling vision awaiting him. Dead silence, his footsteps echoing, dim lights that seem to flicker in a repeating pattern as if stuck in time, and everyone, every single person, asleep. Some people are slumped over large tables, some fallen to the floor, scattered all around as if every guest of a large party became tired and decided to nap all at once. Riku wonders if he should touch them or cast a spell to try to wake them, but settles on calling out, “Hello? Can anyone hear me?” Nothing but echos of his own voice and following silence answers him. He tries again a few more times as he crosses to the far end of the great hall, searching for anyone awake or any explanation of what’s going on. _What happened here? _ he asks himself. 

After checking a few doors to side rooms, closets, and a kitchen housing nothing but more sleeping castle staff, he discovers a large bedchamber beyond the great hall and near the spiraling tower he spied before entering the castle. The room is large and beautiful. He almost leaves, thinking this room is empty too, until he sees a sleeping girl across the room, her long, blonde hair cascading around her, arms crossed over her and hands clasped almost as if in prayer. The bed she sleeps in is ornate, laid with finely woven, artisanal blankets, and with beautiful, heavy curtains draped around the bedposts. He feels a bright, pure light emanating from her and suddenly it hits him - this is one of the princesses of light. Riku pauses, then steps towards her, and when he does he sees the great shadow looming behind one of the bed curtains.

“Maleficent.” It’s an accusatory statement more than an observation. Riku has spent his fair share of time with the witch and knows her darkness nearly as intimately as he knows Xehanort’s darkness. Her presence alone seems to hint at what’s happened to this world - Maleficent is dragging it into darkness and interfering with the princesses of light again. He saddles her with a strong stare and continues moving towards her. “What are you doing here?”

Maleficent turns to look at him and seems as surprised as he imagines she can be. “Someone is awake? Pray tell, who are you?” she asks, looking him up and down sharply. Her once-over stops suddenly at his hand. “Ah, a keyblade. Quite a powerful token. Perhaps you can assist me, then.” The twisted smile that curls around her lips gives him a chill.

“I’m done helping you. I’m not your puppet anymore,” he places his hand over his heart, steadying himself, reminding himself of who he is and the strength he’s built since he was her young toy. After a brief pause, he asks, “Don’t you recognize me?”

“...No,” she says, slowly, taking a step toward him. She’s holding her staff in front of her, a dull green glow emitting from it. 

“But I know you,” Riku says firmly, and shakes his head. “What is going on…?” he murmurs, more to himself than to her. Maleficent couldn’t have forgotten him, could she? More than that, he was sure that her business with the old princesses of heart was over - new princesses had taken their place, and he was sure he had heard that Maleficent was recently found looking for a black box. So, what is Maleficent doing with this princess?

“Perhaps you knew another me,” she states simply, though her expression betrays some perplexity.

_ What game is she playing at? _He doesn’t know the answer, but there are more pressing matters to attend to, like putting a stop to whatever Maleficent's plot with this princess and finding a answer regarding where in the worlds Sora is. “What are you doing with the princess?” he finally demands, and then adds, “Do you have Sora, too?”

She sighs and shakes her head. “Such a waste of your power. If you won’t assist me, then I have no need for you.” She raises her staff high above her head, her voice raising with it “I have somewhere more fitting for you to reconsider my offer!” 

Riku brings his keyblade up in defense, but before he has a chance to confront her, darkness opens up below him and his legs sink down to his knees. “Wait!” he shouts, but it’s too late - the darkness has quickly submerged to his knees, his chin, his eyes, and then - 

* * *

Riku wakes up on a cold stone floor, disoriented. Something soft but firm is pressing into his upper back irritatingly._ Where am I? _ He groans quietly as he pushes himself up on one elbow, reaching his other hand behind him to scratch his back absently. His fingers close around something familiar yet unexpected and give it a tug. “Ah!” he gasps quietly, reacting to a sudden ache in his back. _ What did Maleficent do to me? _He tries to turn his head to look behind him but can’t quite see over his shoulder. 

“Who are you?” an echoing voice interrupts from somewhere in the dark room. Riku snaps his head around, startled, and whips his hands in front of him, keyblade suddenly on-guard. When he sees a man seated across from him, shackled to a stone wall, he realizes he is in no danger and lets his keyblade disappear.

Standing up, tension falling from his body, he responds “I’m Riku,” and moves closer to the imprisoned stranger. “It looks like Maleficent trapped me here. What are you doing here?”

“She caught us both, then,” the stranger sighs with a wry smile. “My name is Philip. I just earlier met the most beautiful girl in a glen outside the castle and we danced for hours like we were in a dream…” he pauses for a moment, then sighs again, deeper. “But now the maiden, my true love, lies in an eternal slumber along with the rest of the castle. It's the witch's doing - she trapped me in this dungeon. I’m afraid only I can break the spell, but I can’t do it like... this.” Philip shakes his arms in the shackles to demonstrate his dilemma.

Riku can feel the truth in Philip's words. “You must really love her.”

“I do!” Philip responds with conviction. “Can you help me get out of here? I have to do something!” Riku feels his own heart ache in response to Philip's desperate urging - they’re on a similar mission. Riku closes his fist tightly, feeling his fingers dig into his palm, and places his fist over his heart. A sudden interruption pulls him out of his short reverie.

“Oh, Prince Philip, it’s you!” comes a light voice from behind Riku. Riku spins around and Philip looks up along with him to see the three Good Fairies floating towards them, appearing shocked and excited. Riku is shocked, too, raising an eyebrow to stare at them. One of the fairies raises her wand and in a flash of pink Philip’s shackles are suddenly unlocked, clattering to the floor beside him. Riku stands back as Philip and the fairies greet each other. 

“Philip,” one of the fairies says kindly, “the road to true love may be barred by many more dangers that you alone will have to face.”

“But true love holds a power greater than any other,” adds another fairy, sweetly. 

“We can lead you out,” the third fairy says, “but after that, it’s up to you to break the spell.”

Philip nods gravely, understanding the task ahead of him will be difficult. He doesn't falter for even a moment. Riku, however, takes a moment to consider before stepping forward. “Let me come with you,” he says firmly. He meets Philip’s eyes and continues, “I’m looking for someone, too, and Maleficent might know something. Besides, I'm sort of used to fighting Maleficent. Let me help you get to her and break this spell.”

Philip evaluates him for a moment and his expression softens. “If it’s true love, your hearts are never apart, even when you aren’t with them. I hope you can find who you're looking for, too.”

Riku nods in response, and with that settled, they’re off. The fairies use their magic to help Philip and Riku escape the dungeon. The dungeon lets out into a great hall of dingy castle, far different than the magnificent castle Riku explored earlier. This castle has a distinct darkness clinging it like a heavy fog. The interior is in shambles, stones fallen out of place and vines covering most walls. A green energy strongly reminiscent of Maleficent herself coats the walls like a fungus. 

Suddenly, Riku senses incoming danger and jumps in front of Philip with his keyblade ready in defense before he can see what the danger is. A sword _ clangs! _ loudly as it comes to a smashing halt against his keyblade as he looks down to see a goblin-like beast raising its sword back to slash at him again. He quickly knocks the sword out of its hands with his keyblade and slashes through the creature, watching it disappear into a puff of green smoke. Before he can contemplate any further, Philip pushes him to the side, shouting his name as he saves him from an onslaught of arrows. They both look up to see a swarm of the creatures closing in on them, some lurking on the cobbled walls with bows and arrows, some running heavily towards them with axes and swords. 

Riku readies himself. He sets his knees apart, one arm reared back, his keyblade gripped and ready to strike, and the other arm in front of him, steadying himself and preparing his aim. Philip draws his sword and quickly charges forward, shouting and slashing a few of the goblins in one blow. Riku follows suit, cutting down a handful goblins with ease before a group closes in on him, landing some irritating hits on his back. As one hits his upper back, pain shoots through him like lightning, his vision blackening for a moment, and in response he raises his keyblade into the air and shouts “Thundara!” The goblins around him are struck by a bright flash of lightning and disappear into green smoke before they realize what hit them. Riku takes a deep, steadying breath and looks around - Philip is ahead of him, striking down more goblins with confidence. 

Riku takes the chance to evaluate the situation around them. There are two goblins perched on a wall across from Philip, readying their arrows for a sneak-attack. “I don’t think so,” Riku mutters and sucks in a deep breath. Running towards the wall opposite the goblins at top speed, he jumps, catches the wall, catapults himself off it and shoots straight towards the goblins aiming for Philip. Before they can react to the white-haired blur shooting at them, Riku has already cut them down with his keyblade and is catching himself on the wall where they once were, nothing but dissipating green smoke remaining. Riku catches his breath for just a moment before jumping back down, landing in front of Philip gracefully and dusting his hands on his pants. The last of Maleficent's minions appearing to be gone, he casts cure on them both, and his lips twitch upward into a smile as he catches Philip’s eyes. “Let’s move!”

They make it out of Maleficent’s castle and onto a steep mountain path without much more trouble, able to quickly take out the few goblins they stumble upon on the way. From the mountain path, Riku can see the castle ahead, the writhing thorns working their way up the castle walls, encouraged by Maleficent’s powerful darkness. He sees a few heartless in the mess of thorns, waiting for them to approach. A sense of urgency sets into Riku’s bones. “I don’t think we have much time.”

Philip nods, seeming to feel the same way, his eyes focused on the castle ahead. “Then we better hurry!”

With that, they’re running again. The closer to the castle they get, the farther away it feels, and the more heartless seem to appear. Riku is able to cut through them with his keyblade but they are slowing Philip down and Riku worries that the castle might be completely enshrouded in thorny darkness before they can break through. He stops and waves at Philip to catch his attention. “You go ahead!” he shouts as another hoard of heartless spawn, a few Large Bodies, Gargoyles, and Neoshadows in the mix. “I can handle these guys - go find her!” 

Philip pauses, nods at him, and runs ahead as Riku prepares himself for the heartless writhing around him. A raven flies overhead and passes Philip, cawing loudly and forebodingly. _ Compared to the Demon Tide, _ Riku thinks, _ this is nothing. _A humorless smirk tugs at his lips as he pulls his arm back, slowly, and attacks.

* * *

Philip cuts tirelessly through the thickening vines and finally makes it to a clearing on the bridge just outside of the castle. Almost there without a moment to lose, he thinks to himself. His princess is inside, somewhere, waiting for him. Before he can take another step forward, Maleficent appears before him, dark shadows twisting around her like a corrupt aura. Philp readies his sword and faces her, eyes hardening. “Release the beautiful maiden!” 

She laughs harshly, her tone mocking, and shakes her head. “You don’t even know who she is! How do you dare hope to break the spell? You have no power against me!”

Philip doesn’t falter. “That’s not true!” Gently, he places his hand over his heart, feeling its warm, constant rhythm. “When hearts connect, love can form, and love is more powerful than darkness! The other details don’t matter!”

Riku steps up beside him, just arriving, slightly out of breath, but glad he made it in time. “He’s right,” Riku confirms, “I can feel it. Their love is a light more powerful than any darkness you can conjure.”

Maleficent’s face turns sour and twists into a gnarled snear. Dark tendrils rise up around her and she raises her staff high, its intense green light blinding Riku for a moment. “See for yourself," she screams, "all the powers of hell!” 

The darkness and green fog envelop her and double, triple in size, nearly as tall as the castle. As the air finally clears, Riku takes a step back to take in her new form. A large, fearsome black dragon rears up in front of them and slams its clawed talons down hard enough to shake the ground violently, nearly throwing Riku off his feet. A low growl rumbles out of the dragon’s fearsome, devilish grin. Sharp teeth slowly reveal glowing as she unhinges her jaw, rears her head back, and unleashes a terrible pillar of fire up into the sky. Grabbing Philip, Riku pulls them back from the heat of the flames and the thorny vines twisting and thrashing at them, some catching fire as they lash towards Riku and Philip. Riku tries to steady himself on the still-shaking ground, looking down to see large cracks forming below the dragon's claws, spreading towards himself and Philip. “Be careful!” he shouts to Philip over the dragon's roars. Philip nods back at him and draws his sword as Riku summons his keyblade, readying for the fight. 

Maleficent makes the first strike, lunging at them suddenly. With only a moment to react, Philip just manages to step away as she snaps her sharp rows of teeth with intent to swallow him hole, only missing by inches. While she’s distracted, Riku bolts around her, hoping to catch her off-guard. He shoots off two blizzaga spells at her underbelly, hitting her both times before she catches on and twists her long neck towards him. Letting out a screech that shakes him to his core, she simultaneously stomps towards him, shaking the foundation of the bridge and knocking Riku heavily onto the ground. A wave of pain ripples through Riku’s head, but he jumps back up quickly, firmly setting his feet and centering himself again. He readies his keyblade in defense against her; it'll take more than that to stop a Keyblade Master.

Philip takes the opportunity to unleash a barrage of sword slashes on Maleficent's neck. She rears back again, unleashing a pained cry towards the heavens and flapping her wings a few times, shooting herself up into the air for a better vantage point. As the two men regroup and Riku cures them, Maleficent flies overhead a few times, circling like a vulture waiting for its prey to finish dying. Fireballs launch from her enormous mouth as she circles and they run, barely dodging each attack. Seeing an opening as they the ground shudders beneath them and they try to catch themselves again, Maleficent dives in quickly, claws outstretched to snatch the men before they can react. Unfortunately for her, Philip seems to have a moment of clarity and expertly throws his sword directly into her side, a blow that sends her spiraling back into the the ground in a crash landing that violently shakes the entire bridge. Riku and Philip run after her, just barely keeping their footing as the bridge starts to give way around them, the cracks in the stones deepening and parting. 

Meeting Riku at her side, Philip motions for Riku to leap onto her back while she's down, offering his hand to help him up. Riku takes a running start and leaps, Philip grabbing and propelling him forward, and lands in a tucked roll on the dragon’s back. He knows he doesn't have a moment to think - running quickly up her back and towards her head, he unleashes a battery of powerful attacks with his keyblade. Regaining her senses, she growls loudly, turns towards him, and as if in slow-motion he can see her building her hellish flames in her throat to destroy him. With no room for error, he aims his keyblade at her, waits until she's opened her jaws just enough, and shoots another blizzaga directly into her mouth. 

With a hiss of extinguished flames and a heavy thud, her head rolls back, eyes glazed and stunned. Riku takes the chance to jump off her back and lands beside Philip, who has just retrieved his sword from her side. They share an understanding look and when Riku says “Okay, let’s do this!” they both sprint towards her, gaining speed, and finally unleash one last joint blow to her head, knocking her hard against the ground. Perhaps too hard, Riku realizes as, the bridge below their feet rumbles and lets out a low groan. Suddenly, two of the bridge supports collapse, the cracks in the foundation break open, and pieces of the bridge beginning to crumble.

“Run!” Philip yells, and they race towards the castle entrance, desperate to make it to safety before they go down with the bridge. Feeling the ground giving out below them, they make a final jump and manage to land just through the castle gates on solid ground as the bridge finally gives way and collapses completely, taking Maleficent down with it. Riku and Philip watch as Maleficent's screams disappear disappear into darkness along with the bridge. A thin tendril of green smoke snakes out of the abyss, but no other of Maleficent remains.

Satisfied that Maleficent is gone but still urged on by adrenaline, Riku grabs Philip’s arm and urges him, “We should keep going. Someone’s waiting for you.” Philip smiles, just a little. 

* * *

Riku cures them again as they jog through the castle, making it through the grand hall without any more fuss. The sleeping people are still there, just as Riku last saw them, untouched by time or the conflict from just moments ago. It feels like a dream. 

They ascend into the beautiful bedchamber where Riku first met Maleficent in this world. Riku slows to a stop as Philip reverently approaches the princess, still perfectly asleep in her bed. Even in the low light from the dusk shining through the bedchamber window, Philip’s eyes glitter with awe as he takes in the princess's soft, ethereal beauty. The way Philip looks at her makes Riku sure, once again, that Philip truly loves her. Riku slowly closes his fingers into a fist. 

A long, silent moment passes without movement. Riku holds his breath. 

Slowly, uncertainly, Philip crouches beside the princess. He leans towards her and places a soft, chaste kiss on her lips before pulling away again. “Please wake up…” he begs, almost a whisper, almost too quiet for Riku to hear. 

And she does. 

Riku and Philip both jump, just a little, startled as the princess draws in a deep breath and slowly lets it out, eyelashes fluttering as she awakens. After a moment, her eyes focus on Philip and a smile blooms on her face. “You…” she whispers, recognition lighting up her face and little tears pricking the sides of her indigo eyes. Philip smiles back, reaching down and wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace. Riku lets out the breath he didn’t realize he was still holding, relieved, and lets a smile tug at his lips too. Wish a soft flash, beams of light begin pouring out from between the two, growing slowly brighter, brighter, until RIku shields his eyes with one hand and still can’t see a thing. In a flash, the light is gone as suddenly as it began, and as Prince Philip and parts from the princess and they share another smile, Riku begins to hear voices from the great hall. 

The fairies were right; true love was quite powerful indeed - powerful enough to break the spell. 

Riku’s heart feels warm and he finds himself smiling, too. The prince and princess turn to look at him, joy clear on their faces. “Thank you,” Philip says, “for everything.” Then, a second later, he adds, frowning, “I’m sorry you didn’t get any clues to find the person you're searching for.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Riku smiles in response and shrugs dismissively. He doesn't sense Sora in this world, anyway. “I’m glad that you found your own precious person. Now," he takes a step back and raises his keyblade, a beam of light shooting out and a keyhole appearing, "I need to go look for mine.” 

“Come back and visit us, won’t you?” the princess asks. 

Riku isn’t really used to people asking him to come back. He spent so long in darkness that most of the people he met in other worlds undoubtedly didn’t care for him. He looks back at her, flustered for a moment, but smiles in spite of himself. A pleasant tingle zigzags across his shoulder blades. He closes his hand into a resolute fist. “Sure. Next time, I’ll bring with me!”

And with that, he’s gone. 

* * *

Ocean breeze. Salty air. Cold water lapping at his feet. Warm sun on his cheeks. The sound of water washing in and out like a slow heartbeat.

Sora blinks a few times to clear his eyes. _ What was I doing? _

The beaches of Destiny Islands surround him in a familiar yet unfamiliar way. Something feels off. He’s laying in the sand, the ocean water trailing at his toes, coming in waves, in and out. He hears seagulls shouting remotely and watches as they drift lazily overhead, distantly remembering falling through the sky beside them. He feels the sand, fine and soft against his calloused hands. A cloud drifts over and past the sun, and he shields his eyes from the bright, warm light with one hand, squinting upwards. A flash of red hair and a smile folds over teasing blue eyes - “ _ Sora, you lazy bum_” - she sounds so far away - 

Sora shoots up, electric tingling buzzing over his skin. He looks around fervently. Where did she go?

“Kairi?” he breaths out. He looks around. "KAIRI?" he shouts this time, but still no response. Her name seems to echo in the sea breeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going somewhere with this, I promise. Didn't mean to write so much so it took longer to edit, but hey, I delivered!


	3. Dwarf Woodlands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sleeping princess. A helpless prince. An evil witch. Wait, hasn't Riku done all of this before?
> 
> And how deep in the water is Sora, anyway?

As Riku’s feet touch down on the ground, he opens his eyes, slowly becoming aware of his surroundings. Blinking blearily, he thoughtlessly scratches at his shoulder blades with one arm and starts walking. He finds himself once again in a dark, dank castle with cobbled walls and torch lighting lining the hallways. He catches wind of a woman’s voice, floating towards him from somewhere nearby; he can’t quite make out what she’s saying, but her tone reminds him of someone.

_ Am I dreaming? _ Riku thinks,  _ This feels like the last world… _

Cautiously, he creeps down the hallway, seeking the source of the voice. If luck be a lady tonight, that voice may not belong to Maleficent (again). He finds the castle halls to be eerily devoid of life and comes to suspect that this may be a private location. As he rounds another corner, sees her, and halts, swiftly pressing himself against an adjacent wall. Perfectly still, he waits for a moment to hear her voice continue, but instead he hears a man’s muffled, low rumble. Slowly, he peers around the wall once more.

A woman stands with her back to him, facing a mirror, a crown adorning her head and a long, exquisite royal purple and midnight black cloak draped around her. In the mirror’s reflection, she has no face. Squinting, a frown running a deep line across his face, Riku leans forward just a bit more, craning to see her reflection and confirm his suspicions are wrong. Instead, he sees a cloudy, floating gray face gazing back at the woman. The face does not move in sync with hers, and in fact appears to be completely independent. Softly, she continues speaking to the mirror. 

“-ic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”

To Riku’s great surprise and mild embarrassment, he jumps, startled as the mirror begins to respond. “Famed is thy beauty, Majesty, but hold--a lovely maid I see. Alas, she is more fair than thee.”

The woman huffs, her arms crossed, and Riku sees her shoulders arch up. “Alas for her,” she declares. “Reveal her name!” 

“Lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin white as snow--”

The queen gasps and jerks her fist up to her chest, “Snow White!” she snarls.

Eyes narrowing, Riku’s gaze drifts to his own clenched fist. Slowly, he draws it up in front of his face and allows himself to quietly think aloud. “A mirror that knows and sees everything… Might know where Sora is.” He looks up again resolutely, “I have to talk to it.”

“The heart of Snow White doth shine bright,” the mirror continues. “Beware, my Queen, a heart of light-”

_ Another Princess of Light? Am I being drawn to them? What’s going on… _

“Who goes there?” calls the Queen. 

Startled back to attention once again, Riku looks up to see a meek messenger arriving for the Queen, bowing at her feet with a scroll held up for her in his shaking hands. Before she can spy him, Riku dodges back down the hallway and waits in an enclave until he sees the Queen walking in the opposite direction. After a few moments, Riku cautiously sneaks back down the hall into the mirror chamber. As he approaches, he feels his shoulders dip in disappointment - the face in the mirror is gone, leaving nothing but a dark, reflective silver surface in its place. Stepping forward, Riku sees his reflection come into focus and freezes.

A gaunt face peers back at him - it’s his face, though exhausted, purple bags beginning to form under his eyes, and cheeks beginning to flush red. His hair is cropped shorter in the back than he remembers it being and his eyes are somehow a little brighter. None of these things particularly startle him. No, what truly alarms him is the presence of two memorable arched wings at his back, deep pink in color with yellow diamonds patterning them. He can feel his eyes widening and sudden static electricity running across his shoulder blades as the wings flutter, just a little. Slowly, Riku turns around, craning his neck to keep his eyes trained on his reflection. As he suspected, a familiar symbol is centered on his back between the set of bat wings jutting out of his shoulder blades. 

He sets his jaw firmly. His fingers tighten around his keyblade, suddenly present in his hand. He knows what this means _ .  _ “Sora needs me.”

Static. Ringing ears. Shoulders twitching, impossibly itchy, yet numb at the same time. Riku grunts, spins around, and jabs his keyblade at the mirror. “Magic Mirror on the wall! Tell me - where is Sora?!” Frustration and hurt lace his voice. He hardly recognizes the person looking back at him with glowing eyes, a mixture of determination and desperation twisting his expression until his reflection morphs into a blank gray face mirrored back at him, returning his powerful stare.

“A journey lies ahead for the one you seek. He lies safely, far below the deep. You must drop to his level, if you wish to meet.”

Riku frowns.  _ What’s that supposed to mean? _ Footsteps echo from the hallways behind him and Riku spins around.  _ I should go _ . He glances at the mirror once more, wishing he had more time, and takes a few steps back. Operating purely on instinct, Riku dashes forward and leaps into the air, his heart dropping into the pit of his stomach for a split second until he feels a light breeze tickling his hair across his face. He glides quickly down the castle hallways, far away from the source of the footsteps and the Magic Mirror.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Gliding makes his travel through the castle much easier, though not his navigation. He manages to make his way out of the castle without being spotted by anyone, though he does have to fend off a handful of heartless and nightmares along the way. Once he’s cleared the castle and is well into a flowery, slightly wooded meadow, he sets his feet back on the ground. Time for a new plan of action.

He walks slowly, aimlessly, relieved to feel solid ground under his feet again. His shoulders ache a little. His heart aches a little, too. 

His reflection in the castle alerted him to what he may not have guessed but feared nonetheless; he is Sora’s dream eater once again, though somehow different this time. Somehow, he’s absorbed aspects of other dream eaters.  _ I wonder how deep into dreams I already dived. _

The mirror also confirmed what he suspected all along; wherever Sora is, it’s deep within dreams, possibly even deeper than the last time Riku dove into his heart to save him. The mirror hinted that Sora is much farther than Riku, but where exactly Sora is remains a mystery.

Still trudging along, Riku feels lost.  _ Sora is more lost than I am. He must be afraid.  _ Closing his eyes slowly and curling his fingers into his palm, Riku steels his resolve. “I’ll find you. I’ll search every world if I have to - whatever it takes.”

“What was that?”

Not realizing he had spoken aloud, much less that he had unknowingly walked right up to a young woman in the meadow, Riku gasps and jumps a foot in the air, his wings automatically catching him. Taking in the startled young woman in front of him, Riku settles back down on his feet and raises his hands, a sign of surrender. “I’m sorry,” he says, and hopes she will believe him, “I didn’t mean to startle you - or, me.” He chuckles softly and lets one hand fall back down by his side again, the other shuffling through the hair on the back of his head. “I guess I was lost in my thoughts,” he explains sheepishly. He can vividly imagine Sora doing the same thing. A slight ache shoots through him, and he wishes Sora was here to laugh at him, too.

Sensing his discomfort, the girl in front of him smiles kindly and giggles. “You must have a lot on your mind!”

Riku instantly feels at ease with her. With her bouncy black hair, sweet smile, pale skin and rosy cheeks, seated sweetly in a patch of flowers in the meadow with the sun shining down around her in beautiful rays of light, she looks almost angelic.  _ Oh _ , he thinks, realizing he has quite truly stumbled upon the Princess of Light that the evil Queen was discussing with the mirror earlier. 

“You…” Riku stares down at her, dumbfounded. 

“Yes?” she smiles up at him, a pure aura emanating from her which Riku has only experienced from a few others.

He gathers himself again. “Are you Snow White?”

“Why, yes!” she looks surprised. “Do I know you?”

“No, you don’t. I just came from the castle. I heard the Queen talking about you, and I think she’s planning something dangerous,” he says, gravely. He doesn’t know exactly what the evil Queen has up her sleeves, but her rage earlier leaves little doubt that it isn’t good. 

“...Yes,” she agrees, her eyes dropping to her lap, morosely turning over a half-completed flower crown in her hands. “I came to the forest to stay safe with some friends, some very sweet dwarfs I met recently.”

“And we won’t let anyone hurt her! Not even you!” comes a shout from behind Riku. Riku and Snow White jerk their heads to see the source of the voice just in time to watch the blunt end of a hand axe come smashing down into Riku’s head. Two dwarfs stand in front of Riku, one seated atop the other’s shoulders, holding the hand axe, ready to strike again.

“Grumpy!!” Riku distantly hears Snow White shout. Dark ink pours into his vision, black across rippling water, and Riku falls - 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Riku rubs his eyes softly and slowly focuses on the diamond-dipped night sky above him. A shooting star darts across, seemingly in quite a hurry. Instinctively, Riku reaches for Sora beside him, stopping halfway through the motion, his heart sinking just a little. His ears ring with the last few notes of a familiar song; he must have been dreaming. 

Sitting up, Riku rubs his head, a dull ache setting in. It’s been a while since someone has snuck up on him like that. “Snow White?” he calls out, looking around, though he doubts he’ll find her now. 

“Sorry, I’m afraid not!” answers a male voice from somewhere in the treeline. A young man emerges, greeting Riku with a smile and short wave. “I’m looking for Snow White, too. Have you seen her?” He’s a handsome, kind-looking man, and reminds Riku of Prince Philip. 

“Wait,” Riku says, getting to his feet, “You know Snow White?” 

“Oh, yes,” the man responds, looking a little flustered, “We met once. It was a song that brought us together.”  _ A song?  _ “Has something happened to her?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m afraid so. I believe the Queen is plotting something against her. I tried to warn her, but…” 

The man’s eyes widen in fear. Riku recognizes the familiar expression; worry for his precious person. “I must go to her! Do you know where she is?!”

Riku shakes his head. “The last place I saw her was here,” he gestures around the quiet nighttime meadow, crickets performing midnight concert around them. “She’s gone now.”

“I have to find her,” the man says. He speaks with a resolution that Riku understands and respects. “Perhaps there is a way I can help!”

Riku nods, “Let me come with you. Four eyes are better than two,” he jokes, hoping to lighten the mood. 

The man returns his smile, “Thank you. I am the Prince, by the way. And you are?”

“I’m Riku. I’m looking for someone too. I doubt he’s here, but I’m going to save him.”

The Prince nods. “Thank you. I’ll help you as well, if I can.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


They’re walking for some time before they exit the meadow and anything much happens. When they cross the treeline and the forest begins to grow around them, nightmares and heartless grow, too. Riku finds that he can often sense them before they appear, which allows him to eliminate the dark nuisances with relative ease. The Prince remains ready with his sword at Riku’s side.

By nearly daybreak, they see smoke rising steadily from a clearing nearby and decide to check it out. As they approach, Riku sees a cabin through the trees, and when they finally come upon it, he sees that the cabin is the source of the smoke. Exchanging a glance with the Prince, they both ready their weapons and creep around the side of the cabin to get a better look and see if anyone is home. Riku gestures for the Prince to hold back for a moment, and slowly he peeks around the corner of the cabin to see seven dwarfs circling a beautiful, ornately carved slab of rock surrounded by delicate meadow flowers. Atop the structure lies Snow White, still and quiet as the grave, appearing deeply asleep, her flower crown from earlier that day gingerly laid in her hair. 

Riku freezes.  _ What is going on here? She looks just like the last princess… _

Slowly, he turns his head back to face the Prince, who waits with barely-concealed impatient anticipation. “Snow White is there,” Riku quietly informs, and hesitates. “I think… she’s under some kind of spell. She’s asleep.” Riku is certainly not all-knowing, but he is a Keyblade Master and he recognizes magic when he sees it. Snow White is under a spell similar to the one cast on the last princess he helped. 

_ What a strange coincidence… _

The Prince’s jaw drops and he pales at the news. “A spell? Oh no…” His gaze drifts beyond Riku and he approaches Snow White as if sleepwalking. Riku hesitantly follows him, hoping not to be knocked out with an ax again. As they approach Snow White and the seven dwarfs, a couple of the dwarfs notice them, looking for all the world that they couldn’t imagine who would come to visit at a time like this. One of the dwarfs who looks up is the angry-looking one who attacked Riku earlier that day. When he sees Riku, he shoves the dwarf beside him, who looks up and reveals himself to be the accomplice who helped attack Riku. The second dwarf gasps and suddenly Riku and the Prince have everyone’s full attention.

Riku clears his throat.

“You!” shouts the angry dwarf accusingly, “I bet you did this!” He lunges at Riku.

Riku blinks, eyebrows raising incredulously, and summons his keyblade.

The accomplice grabs the angry dwarf’s arm and intercepts before a fight breaks out. “Now, Grumpy, let’s not jump to conclusions! And who is this other fellow?”

The Prince steps forward dutifully, looking quite princely, and takes an authoritative tone, “I am the Prince. I came to offer my help to dear Snow White. And this is my companion, Riku. We’re no threat, I promise you that.”

The Prince must have convinced them of his genuineness because Grumpy grumbles but ultimately quiets down, and the accomplice dwarf speaks up again instead. “The Prince! Oh, my… Snow White told us about you.” He steps forward solemnly to greet the Prince and Riku. “I’m Doc. That’s Grumpy,” he points at the angry dwarf, who huffs in response, then goes down the line of dwarfs one at a time, identifying them. “That’s Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, and Dopey.” Dopey waves at them animatedly, and Riku nods back in response. “But, I’m afraid you’re too late,” Doc continues, “The Queen,” he pauses and takes a deep breath, “or some witch - she got to Snow White with a poison apple. She won’t wake up.” Doc and the other six dwarfs turn back to look at Snow White mournfully. 

Philip bows his head in silence.

Riku contemplates for a moment. “Maybe she can,” he says, trailing off. In the Enchanted Dominion, he saw Prince Philip revive the magically cursed princess with a kiss. He doesn’t quite understand how it worked, but the love those two shared carried some strong magic with it. Riku meets the Prince’s gaze. “Do you love her?” 

The Prince, seeming taken-aback, only pauses for a moment before he responds “I do,” with such conviction that Riku believes him immediately.

“If you love her, then kiss her. I believe the strong bond your hearts share holds a magic that can break even a very powerful curse. I saw it once before.”

The Prince nods and, without question, solemnly approaches Snow White.

Snow White, much like the last Princess of Light, looks ethereal in her deep slumber. Her dark hair is splayed out around her and reflects the warm chestnut tones of the sunrise. Her creamy skin is paler than before, but her lips remain just as soft and crimson as rose petals. Her hands are clasped over her and her body is relaxed. Her long, feathery eyelashes are settled on her cheeks, and her flower crown is laid upon her hair like a halo. Riku takes all of this in as the Prince steadies himself, kneels beside her, and delicately leans down, just allowing his lips to brush over hers; chaste, timid, respectful, entreating. He hesitates above her for a moment, eyes blinking open and evaluating her in hopes of seeing her break free from the spell. 

And, to everyone’s surprise, she does. 

Opening her mouth in a yawn and stretching her arms above her head, Snow White comes back to life as if waking from a restful nap. Riku, the Prince, and all seven dwarfs jump and gasp in unison, and the Prince leans up to give Snow White space to move. Snow White sits up, a pleasant smile gracing her features, and looks around at the familiar faces surrounding her, each painted with wonder and surprise. Somehow understanding the situation, she looks at the Prince with remorse and reaches her arms out to him. As the Prince slips his arms around her, picks her up, and spins her around, the dwarfs laugh, cheer, and hug each other. Dopey even turns and hugs Riku, who jolts a little in surprise and hesitantly pats Dopey on the head in return. Dopey grins at him. 

The Prince spins Snow White towards Riku and stops beside him. Snow White’s giggles are enchanting. Riku can’t help but smile back at all the happy faces around him. 

“This is Riku,” says The Prince to Snow White, and Riku nods at her, accepting the official introduction. “He helped save you from the enchantment.”

“Oh my! Thank you so very much, Riku! How can I ever repay you?”

Riku shakes his head and smiles at her once more. “No need. Just wish me luck in finding and saving my princess, too!” They all laugh good-naturedly, and when Snow White clasps his hand for a moment, he’s sure he feels a bit of her light touch reach his heart. Releasing her hand, he draws up his keyblade in front of him and summons a keyhole. “I better be off.”

“Thank you, Riku!” The Prince calls after him, “I know you will find him safely!”

As he departs, sandpaper static waves criss-cross his shoulder-blades and Riku kicks himself for calling Sora his princess.

  
  


* * *

The island is empty. All the islands are. Everything appears normal, except it isn’t normal because no one is around and it’s too quiet. Sora’s looked everywhere, probably twice, he thinks. Though, he never was all that good at games like hide-and-go-seek.

It’s nightfall now and Sora is discouraged and exhausted. He sighs. “Where is everyone…”

Sora searches up and down the beach for the spot where he first woke up. The tide has come in and all but washed away the impression in the sand where he laid, but he spots a shell that seems familiar and lays down beside it, fixing it with a long stare as he does.

Sighing again, he closes his eyes and listens to the tide coming in and out. When he opens his eyes, he sees only the stars high above him, clear and bright as if he were flying in his gummiship among them. A star shoots across the sky. Sora’s hand reaches for someone who isn’t there.

The tide comes up suddenly and strongly, swallowing him up before he can react. 

An arm appears above him, swimming in the murky ocean waves, reaching for him, sea green eyes and starlight hair, and he reaches for desperately, grasping at nothing. 

“Wait! Riku-!”

He’s pulled under, deep, deep-

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write something sweet and gay about these boys kissing, but somehow my imagination got out of control. So, instead I'm writing everything I want to happen in the next Kingdom Hearts game. It's a slow burn, but the eventual reunion is gonna give you a lot of satisfaction, so hang in there and wish me luck; I can't stop typoing "Riky" and "Soda" and abusing semicolons. Oof.
> 
> Love  
Mel


End file.
